Sapphire Nightmares: The Zealot of Hoenn
by Rineru
Summary: [Marriland Pokemon Sapphire nuzlocke story] A young girl goes on a journey with her treecko in the region of Hoenn. In her possession is an odd, teardrop-shaped stone with a unique power. A mysterious, fragmented nightmare revisits her often, showing her more with each subsequent dream. What does it mean? Where exactly is this leading her?


**Author's Note**:

Hello everyone! This is a story to be accompanied along with my _Pokemon Sapphire_ Nuzlocke on the Marriland forums.

A few things to note:  
  
-I can't indent paragraphs. Sadface.  
-My writing can be a tad dark sometimes (like this prologue), but I will never get gory or sexual.  
-The story incorporates something called The Zealot Rayquaza, which is the mascot of _The Zealot Formation_, a club I co-lead on the Marriland forums. How is it incorporated? Stay tuned to the later chapters of the story to find out!  
-The story will follow the basic outline of the game _Pokemon Sapphire_. There is a mini side-plot I have created as a backstory while I play through the game, which will be tweaked and molded depending on how the nuzlocke itself goes. It should be great fun!  
-Reviews, either on here or the nuzlocke thread I create on the Marriland forums, are greatly appreciated and will help keep me super motivated!  
-Thoughts are in italics for easy reading. ^^  
-A link to the nuzlocke thread on the Marriland forums will be included with chapter 1, since that is when the actual nuzlocke starts. =p

I can't think of anything else for now, so let's get this started! I really hope you guys enjoy and stay tuned for the whole thing!

* * *

**Prologue: All That's Left**

_How did it come to this?_

I felt the same adamantine claw wrap around my ankle, pulling me effortlessly across the stone floor. I made every feeble attempt I could to grasp at any small rock or structure we passed, to no avail.

"Please..." My voice was raspy and barely came out as a squeak, having been completely worn out from my earlier implorations.

I couldn't see much of anything. The world was a dark canvas now, splotched with fragments of gray, ivory and crimson. My body refused to move; my arms lay limp, sliding along ancient rock and stonework as we came ever closer to the edge. My clothes were tattered from a one-sided battle, shreds of them dragging behind us. Even my hair, now matted and tangled courtesy of the downpour, had been diagonally chopped in a close encounter with a mighty attack.

I knew we were close. The wind grew stronger and a feeling of dread took root in the pit of my gut. I caught a glimpse of my final partner: eyes half open, they lay lifeless merely a few feet away. Their final act had been one of true friendship.

It was me or them...and they chose me.

I felt defeated, like a fruitless trainer and partner. How could I have done this to my team, my friends? After all this time journeying together, I had failed them. I tried to move my hand to reach out for my friend, but my digits remained stiff. I no longer had the ability to weep, nor to call out their name.

I was suddenly lifted into the air. As my fingers left the ground, I weakly scooped into my fist a tiny lock of silver hair.

_This is all that's left. I couldn't save you, either.  
_  
An earsplitting, distorted cry that seemed to shake the sky itself ripped around me and I clamped my eyes shut. Tears finally escaped from the corners of my eyes, while my mouth curled into a grimace as the salty droplets mingled with the dirt and sanguine fluids on my cheeks.

_I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. _To think this all started with a dream.

Memories of my mother surged back to me in my final moments, her sweet and bubbling voice of no comfort to me now.

* * *

"You'll do great, honey. Especially with that treecko of yours as your partner now! You two can do anything together!"

I remember cracking that dopey grin of mine in response. I was so innocent, completely ignorant of the horrible things in this world. The mysteries it hides; the elements that should never be disturbed. I should have stayed home with treecko. In the beginning, I had always wanted the quiet life. Maybe I could have been a breeder.

"Yeah!"

"And always remember, my daughter," she started with a smile, her face softening as she reminisced over past days, "follow your dreams." As she placed her hand on my head, I felt like I could do anything. I could achieve my dreams, go anywhere I wanted, do absolutely anything with my treecko. I was invincible!

* * *

_Always follow your dreams...  
_  
A hiccup caught in my throat between sobs as I drowned in the memories of my adventures. I could feel the fridgid wind of the night biting at my back now, and all I could see was the menacing ebony torso of my executioner as the rain flooded my cloudy vision.

_I took her...too literally._

So my journey ended. I shut my eyes as I felt myself fall, hoping that this itself would be a nightmare, just as the one I had so foolishly followed to the end.


End file.
